Don't Move
by Sarahmint
Summary: Post-War Konoha. A realistic take on Sasuke and Karin romance. They both understand each other, but cannot move beyond the past.


Post-War Konoha with Naruto finally Hokage as Tsunade decided to give up her position and go into "retirement" when she actually wanted to dedicate the rest of her life to teaching history and medicine to students as she was swayed by the next generation to take care of things. The Hokage building has been fully restored with visually stunning improvements.

Sasuke is known as the Advisor to the Golden Hokage. To others, he was the Dark Assistant, still feared for his Sharingan and legendary skill and mysterious past. Even though he was pardoned for his international crimes, he was very successful in building up a fearsome reputation for himself in the years he left Konoha.

One evening, as he was reviewing the papers Naruto had to sign and the current politics of the day (as Sasuke always did since he was the work horse and Naruto was the public figure between the two of them), he was interrupted by someone who had business with the forbidden library. Karin had to finish delivering her documents on Uzumaki sealing to add to the library. She was convinced by Sasuke to add them after some insistence that he would make sure the village gave her a place to stay at no other cost then collaborative services.

Sasuke looked up for a moment "So you're here." Before looking down again and continuing to write a speech Naruto needs to deliver the next day. Sasuke was careful to make sure the speeches were not too redundant and would bring up Itachi whenever appropriate.

Karin replied "You are so dedicated. It's almost 23:00. You might as well – learn from Naruto and relax to get a proper amount of sleep. I don't have work 14:00 tomorrow."

"Did you come here to tell me how to do my job?" Sasuke asked looking up again.

She didn't want to tell him she came just to see him. "Well I sensed you were up here so I wanted to get a good view. I have always wanted to see what the village looks like from up here" Karin did not even look at him when responding as she opened up the doors behind him to go to the balcony where the Hokage gives his speeches. The view _was_ gorgeous. Many little houses and buildings sat around with lit up by lanterns and fireplaces made the view almost magical to her. She had not seen such luxury as far as she can remember. The starlight shaped the Hokage monument in a comforting manner, a lot less menacing she had ever imagined from up there.

She was almost distracted from Sasuke's presence entirely until he got very close. He walked up close to her. Karin, I'm done with my work. You tell me to relax but you are still here.

"This is beautiful" she said, not even looking at him. He looked in the same direction she was looking at and he was actually enchanted with what he was seeing. The night was a lot more lively then when he came to overlook the village with Orochimaru, probably because people were home and living the lives they wanted to, not having it been abandoned to go to war. It was like looking at a new Konoha, one he had never seen before.

"I can see what you mean". He simply stated coldly, not revealing how deep he was touched. He didn't need to say anything. She felt it. She felt everything he was feeling. She was a sensor and could tell when people lied to her as well as their fear and health. She could tell when someone was feeling amorous or grumpy. It saved her when she was hunted down as a child, but most of time time she uses it to manipulate people and get her way. She never took her power for granted.

Sasuke felt affection for this village and their spirit. For most of his life he resented the village for outliving his clan, but he became found of it over time, especially since out of it came the one living person who would never give up on him no matter how far he had fallen. For Naruto, he would be eternally grateful (even though it took Naruto months for Sasuke to feel this way.)

The village was full of life and people, people which Sasuke vowed to himself he would teach history to. It reminded him of the future which has yet to happen, but Sasuke plans on marching them all to a path he desires for them so they will never walk the same unbearable pain he or his brother had. Beyond that Karin was (unintentionally) presenting Sasuke the present, the way things are now. It is a beauty and a joy that made Sasuke smile. He never would have taken the time to even bother. He didn't care about it. Yet he did and she was showing this to him without even trying.

He turned to her. He intended to just glance at her, but she was beautiful in the light of the stars in the Konoha night. His mouth agape at her beauty. Her shape, her hair, the color of her skin, her familiarity.

Just as quickly as he looked at her, by instinct she looked at him. Sasuke adored the color of her eyes at this moment. They looked sweet and familiar, not fierce when she was in a cranky mood during the day. The night calmed her. He just wanted to look at them. To stare into her eyes and her face.

"Karin, don't move".

As soon as he said those words, her face changed from serenity to disgust, fear, then a hint of regret. She left in a hurry. She closed the door behind her quickly as she left. She was careful not to let anyone see her shed a tear, but she could not help but tremble for a moment as she wiped a tear from her face. As much as she wanted to reuinite with her old Team Taka and mature with them into whatever became their future disbanded or not, she could never forget the face Sasuke made the first time he said that to her.

On her way out, natural anger was interpreted as fear by a janitor who passed her on his way up. He opened the door to the main office and saw Sasuke there about to leave, he trembled "eek" and rushed out to clean something else before he went back in to clean the main room. "Sasuke really is scary" he thought as he assumed everyone who met Sasuke left in fear of the mighty Uchiha Sharingan.


End file.
